Follow all the action as Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant battle it out from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  The Round by Round will be done from ringside.  The action begins at 9 pm ET / 6 PM PM with a three fight undercard featuring former two-time world champion Anthony Dirrell, Former 122 lbs world champion Ray Beltran and Elvis Rodriguez

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED; THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1 Jab from Plant….Chopping right from Canelo…Body work…Body shot

Round 2 Left hook from Canelo…Uppercut on inside..Left hook from Plant..Right from Canelo…Jab from Plant..Body shot..Left hook..Uppercut from Plant..Left hook from Canelo..Couple jabs from Plant…Left hook from Canelo..3 punch combo from Plant…Jab and right from Canelo..Rught..Right uppercut..

Round 3 Jab from Plant..Lead left from Canelo..2 left hooks…Jab by plant…Body shot from Canelo

Round 4 combination on ropes from Canelo..Jab from Plant..Body shot from Canelo..Right hand

Round 5 Left hook to body from Canelo..Flurry from Plant…Left from Canelo…

Round 6 Right left combo from Canelo..Nice left hook..Stiff jab from Plant…Jab from Canelo….Chopping right..Left hook..Jab from Canelo..Jab from Plant…Jab from Canelo

Round 7 Counter right from Plant…lead left hook from Canelo…Jab from Plant..Counter right…left hook to body from Canelo

Round 8 Double left hook from Canelo..Mouse under right eye of Canelo

Round 9 Body shots from Canelo..Jab to body…Left hook from Plant..Counter right..Left hook from Canelo…Right from Plant..combination from Plant…Body combination

Round 10 Body shots from Canelo

Round 11 BIG UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES PLANT……hUGE FLURRY…PLANT IS WOBBLING ALL OVER AND THE RIMH AMD GETS DROPPED AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

Round 1:

By Norm Fraueheim-

Ray Beltran’s fight continues, just a couple days after Manny Pacquiao announced his retirement.

Beltran (36-9-1, 22 KOs), Pacquiao’s sparring partner during the prime years of his legendary career, is scheduled for a comeback Friday night against Mexican Edgar Ramirez (18-18-1, 14 KOs) in a junior-welterweight fight at the Glendale (AZ) Civic Center in suburban Phoenix.

Beltran, a former World Boxing Organization lightweight champion, hasn’t fought since he was stopped by Richard Commey in June 2019. Beltran, who lives in the Phoenix area, had hoped to fight on July 18. But the scheduled bout fell through when his opponent decided to stay home in Mexico.

Ramirez, a 30-year-old Mexican from Hermosillo, is 1-5 over his last six fights. Seven fights are scheduled for the card, including Phoenix featherweight Danny Barrios, who is coming off an impressive stoppage of Edward Ceballos for an Arizona 126-pound title on July 16 in Maryvale, AZ.

First bell is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PT).

By Norm Frauenheim-

Ray Beltran’s 23 years in the ring include lots of punches. Lots of lessons, too.

One of those lessons landed all over again Thursday. No payday is ever guaranteed. Beltran’s comeback fight Friday night at Legends Center in Maryvale on the west side of Phoenix has been cancelled. His scheduled opponent didn’t show up for the weigh-in Thursday.

Beltran (36-9-1, 22 KOs), a former lightweight champion, said he was told Wednesday night that Osorio just didn’t want to fight. The bout, which would have been Beltran’s first since a stoppage loss to Richard Commey in June 2019, was supposed to be at 143-pounds. Osorio (12-20-2, 8KOs), of Monterrey, Mex., was 2-6 over his last eight bouts.

“It’s disappointing,’’ said the 40-year-old Beltran, once Manny Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner. “You invest a lot of time and money into training and all.  But it’s part of boxing. Part of the business. I used to fight because of my passion for the game. I still do. But now I also see it as a business.’’

Beltran, who lives in Avondale on the west side of Phoenix, said he hopes to fight on a card featuring super-middleweight David Benavidez-versus-Jose Uzcatequi on Aug. 28. It was announced this week that the Showtime-televised card will be at Talking Stick Arena in a ring on the Suns home floor in downtown Phoenix.

Jose Benavidez Jr. is also expected to fight on the card. It would be Benavidez Jr.’s first bout since a 12^th-round stoppage loss to welterweight champion and pound-for-pound contender Terence Crawford in October 2018. The Benavidez brothers grew up in Phoenix.

“That’s going to be a big night for Phoenix boxing,’’ said Beltran, who was brought to Phoenix from Mexico in the late 1990s by late Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.

Beltran made his pro debut in Tucson in July 1999.

“At this stage, I just want to stay busy,’’ said Beltran, who says he will fight at junior-welterweight. “I’m hoping for August 28. Then, maybe in September. At this stage, I’ve got to stay busy. I can’t sit around and wait.’’

With the Beltran comeback off Friday night’s card, young featherweights Danny Barrios (5-0 1 KOs) and Edward Ceballos (9-3-1, 5 KOs) will fight in the main event for a 126-pound state title sanctioned by the Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission. First bell is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Richard Commey retained the IBF Lightweight championship with an 8th round stoppage of former champion Ray Beltran at the Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, California

In the opening seconds, Commey dropped Beltran with a hard right hand. Beltran was hurt, and Commey landed a hard flurry that sent Beltran plummeting to the canvas. Beltan seemed done, but was able to land a hard right that momentarily stopped Commey in his tracks. Commey was able to finish the round with a hard right on the ropes. Beltran went down again, as in round five a right hand got through that put Beltran on his knees.

In round seven, Commey had swelling around the right eye. In round nine, Commey landed a booming left that sent Beltran to the canvas. Beltran was able get up, but the fight was waved off at 54 seconds.

Commey, 134.4 lbs of Accra, GHA is now 29-2 with 26 knockouts. Beltran, who missed the weight at Thursdays weigh-in is now 36-9-1.

“Beltran showed why he was a champion. He’s a great fighter who showed it against me tonight,” Commey said. “I was happy to get the job done and defend my title for the first time.

“It looks like Teofimo Lopez is next, but he has a job to do first.”

Carlos Adames won an 10-round unanimous decision over Patrick Day in a junior middleweight bout.

Adames pulled away down the stretch, and rocked Day throughout the final round. Day was hurt and was fortunate that he did not go down.

Adames, 154 lbs of Santiago, DR won by scores of 97-93 twice and 98-91 and is now 18-0. Day, 153.8 lbs of Freeport, NY is 17-3-1.

“Tonight was about getting work in. I listened to my coach, Robert Garcia,” Adames said. “This was my second fight with him, and it was about getting good rounds, and we did that. In the 10th round, he told me he was ready to go. If I had one more minute I think I would’ve finished him, but in the end, I think it was a very good performance on my behalf.”

Raymond Muratalla stopped Agustine Mauras after round one of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Muratalla dropped Mauras with a left hook. Muratalla continued to land heavy shots up until the bell, and the corner of Mauras pulled the plug.

Muratalla, 135.2 lbs of Fontana, CA is 8-0 with six knockouts. Mauras, 137.4 lbs of Lawrence, MA is 6-6-3.

Elvis Rodriguez and Joaquin Chavez battled to a no-contest after a headbutt caused the action to be halted in the 1st round of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, the two fighters clashed heads and an ugly cut on the forehead of Chavez forced the fight to be stopped at 2:28

Rodriguez, 139.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 2-0. Chavez, 141 lbs of Commerce, CA is 9-18-3.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored an upset victory by stopping previously undefeated Saul Rodriguez in round three of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored an upset victory by stopping previously undefeated Saul Rodriguez in round three of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

Gonzalez knocked Rodriguez down in the opening seconds of the bout from a left hook. In round two, Gonzalez was cut around the left eye from an accidental headbutt. In round three, Gonzalez landed a booming left that sent Rodriguez hard on his back, and the fight was immediately stopped at 1:23.

Gonzalez, 130.4 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is 25-4 with 22 knockouts. Rodriguez, 130.6 lbs of Riverside, CA is 23-1-1.

Christopher Zavala won a six-round unanimous decision over Prisco Marquez in a super featherweight bout.

Zavala, 129.4 lbs of Los Angeles won by 60-54 tallies on all cards and is now 5-0. Marquez, 129.8 lbs of Austin, TX is 4-1-1.

Dmitry Yun made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Jose Antonio Meza in a lightweight bout.

Yun was deducted a point in the final round for hitting behind the head.

Yun, 135.6 lbs of Baku, AZE won by scores of 39-36 on all cards, and is now 1-0. Meza, 135.2 lbs of Gomez Palcio, MEX is now 6-4.

David Kaminsky remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Osbaldo Gonzalez in a middleweight fight.

Kaminsky, 162 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 40-36. Gonzalez, 162.8 lbs of Tulsa, OK is 6-5.

Also featured from the DiBella Entertainment stable, undefeated heavyweight contender Junior Fa(18-0, 10 KOs), of New Zealand, won a 10-round unanimous decision against veteran Dominick Guinn (37-13-1, 26 KOs), of Humble, TX. Fa survived a fourth-round knockdown to win by scores of 98-91 twice, and 97-92. Entering the contest, the 29-year-old Fa was ranked #7 by the WBO.

• Richard Commey 134.4 lbs vs. * Ray Beltran 136.8 lbs
(Commey’s IBF Lightweight world title – 12 Rounds)
Judges/Referee: Robert Hoyle, Lou Moret and Alejandro Rochin/Eddie Hernandez Sr.
* Beltran 1.8 pounds over the lightweight limit and not eligible to win the title

• Carlos Adames 154 lbs vs. Patrick Day 153.8 lbs
(Adames’ NABF and NABO Super Welterweight titles  – 10 Rounds)
Judges/Referee: Max De Luca, Zachary Young and Jerry Cantu/Ray Corona 

ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET)

•     Raymond Muratalla 135.2 lbs Agustine Mauras 137.4 lbs
(Lightweight – 6 Rounds)

• Elvis Rodriguez 139.6 lbs Joaquin Chavez 141 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 6/4 Rounds)

• Saul Rodriguez 130.6 lbs vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez 130.4 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 10 Rounds)

• Chris Zavala 129.4 lbs Prisco Marquez 129.8 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 6 Rounds)

• Dmitry Yun 135.6 lbs Jose Antonio Meza 135.2 lbs
Lightweight – 4 Rounds)

•     David Kaminsky 162 lbs Osbaldo Gonzalez 162.8 lbs
Middleweight – 4 Rounds)

OFF TV (After Main Event)

•   Junior Fa 259.6 lbs vs. Dominick Guinn 234.2 lbs
(Heavyweight – 10 Rounds)

• Ruben Rodriguez 145.6 lbs vs. Vicente Morales 147.4 lbs
(Welterweight – 6 Rounds)
 Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets for this world championship event priced at $149, $129, $79, $59, and $29 are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in person at the Pechanga Resort Casino box office.

TEMECULA, Calif. (June 26, 2019) – The road to lightweight supremacy continues Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino when IBF world lightweight champion Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KOs) makes the first defense of his title against former lightweight world champion Ray Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KOs).

The winner of Commey-Beltran is expected to fight the winner of the July 19 IBF title eliminator featuring unbeaten sensation Teofimo Lopez and Japanese veteran Masayoshi Nakatani. The winner of this de facto tournament could conceivably face unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko for all four lightweight belts in early 2020.

Beltran lost his WBO lightweight title to Jose Pedraza last August, but rebounded to stop unbeaten super lightweight contender Hiroki Okada in February.

Commey knocked out Isa Chaniev in two rounds Feb. 2 in Frisco, Texas, to pick up the vacant title.

In the co-feature, 154-pound slugger Carlos Adames (17-0, 14 KOs) will defend his NABO and NABF belts in a 10-rounder versus upstart Patrick Day (17-2-1, 6 KOs).

At Wednesday’s final press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Richard Commey

“Being a world champion is great. I went back home, and everyone welcomed me at the airport. It was like a hero’s welcome. It was unbelievable. I just thank God for that.”

“Every time I prepare for a fight, I don’t try to knock my opponent out. I just work hard, and it always comes as a bonus. My head trainer, Andre Rozier, always pushes me. I never try and knock out my opponent. It comes when it comes. I believe he’s a strong guy, a tough guy, and so am I. It’s going to be a good fight, but I’m the champion, and I’m going to keep my belt.” 

Ray Beltran

On fighting at the top of the sport after nearly 20 years as a pro

“I feel like I made it the hard way. Even when the sport or the boxing world didn’t believe in me, that’s when I had to believe in myself. I think that’s why I am here. I’ve been counted out. People doubted me. I think 10 years ago, boxing experts and matchmakers didn’t even think I was a top-10 fighter. Nobody gave me an opportunity. I had to go and take it. Here we are. I became a world champion, and I am fighting for another world title. It’s not about if people believe in you. You must believe in yourself.”

“I don’t want to prove nobody nothing. I want to prove to myself that it’s about what I can do. I’ve been doubted most of my career, and it doesn’t matter how much I do or what I accomplish. It’s never enough, so I’m not worried about it.”

“I came from a really rough childhood. There was no hope. I was never satisfied with what life put in front of me. The saying, ‘If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ I say, ‘F**K that!’ I don’t want to get lemons. I want to get what I want from life. That’s my mentality.”

Carlos Adames

“I had a very good amateur record. I’m a very talented fighter, and so is Patrick Day, but there is no fighter alive that can defeat me in the ring.”

On training with Robert Garcia and adding a nutritionist to his camp

“They are a great team. I’ve been training hard with Robert and Perfecting Athletes on the nutritional part, but I also have a lot of confidence in my talent.”

“The Dominican Republic is known for having good baseball players, but I’m trying to make it known that the country has good boxers as well.”

Patrick Day

“My most recent success comes from within, my hunger, my desire. I just want to be great at something, not only in boxing but in life. And in life, I just happen to choose to box. That’s the avenue that I want to do. I’m not going to be mediocre. I suffered two defeats early in my career, so I had to {look within} and really evaluate myself.”

“This is a great opportunity. It’s an opportunity I’ve dreamed of – my opponent as well – and we’re both deserving of this opportunity. In my estimation, we are the two best 154-pounders in the world. These guys that have the belts, they’re good. It seems like Al Haymon really has his hands on the 154-pound division with all these prospects and champions, but these guys haven’t been tested yet. And they’re not the real deal. They talk big, they have the big ego and they’re really cocky, but what have they done? They’re not fighters like me and Carlos are. We’re going to set the tone, and we’re going to set an example for the 154-pound division.”

ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Richard Commey (champion) vs. Ray Beltran (challenger), 12 rounds, Commey’s IBF lightweight world title

Carlos Adames vs. Patrick Day, 10 rounds, Adames’ NABO and NABF super welterweight titles

ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Saul Rodriguez vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez, 10 rounds, super featherweight

Junior Fa vs. Dominick Guinn, 10 rounds, heavyweight

Tyler Howard vs. Luis Hernandez, 8 rounds, middleweight

Ruben Rodriguez vs. Vicente Morales , 6 rounds, super lightweight

Raymond Muratalla vs. Agustine Mauras, 6 rounds, lightweight

Elvis Rodriguez vs. Joaquin Chavez, 4 rounds, lightweight

Dmitry Yun vs. Jose Antonio Meza, 4 rounds, lightweight

David Kaminsky vs. Osbaldo Gonzlalez, 4 rounds, middleweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets for this world championship event priced at $149, $129, $79, $59, and $29 are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in person at the Pechanga Resort Casino box office.

TEMECULA, Calif (May 16, 2019) — Something has to give. IBF lightweight world champion Richard Commey is one of the division’s biggest punchers. For his first title defense, he’ll face a rugged ex-champion who hasn’t been knocked out in more than a decade.

Commey will defend his belt against former WBO lightweight world champion Ray Beltran in the Top Rank on ESPN main event Friday, June 28 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated Dominican puncher Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames will defend his NABO and NABF 154-pound belts against Patrick Day.

Commey-Beltran and Adames-Day will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The undercard will stream live on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets for this world championship event priced at $149, $129, $79, $59, and $29 are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in person at the Pechanga Resort Casino box office.

“I’m honored to be headlining an ESPN show as a world champion and to be fighting former world champion Ray Beltran, whom I have the utmost respect for,” Commey said. “This is an opportunity for me to show the American public that I’m here to become the undisputed lightweight champion of the world. The path is set, and come June 28, I’ll be ready to rock ‘n’ roll.”

“I’m excited about this fight with Richard Commey. I’ve been the WBO champion, and I intend to be the IBF champion on June 28,” Beltran said. “I expect a tough fight, but that’s the kind of fight I like. We are both very experienced, so it will come down to who is willing to lay his heart on the line that night. After losing my title to Jose Pedraza, I think some people thought I was done, but I always come back and prove that I belong. I’m excited to announce that Freddie Roach is back in my corner after all these years. When I was working with Manny Pacquiao, I saw what Freddie can do, both in camp and in the corner. I’m grateful to Top Rank and ESPN for having me back. The only thing I want for my birthday (July 23) is the IBF world title.”

“Richard Commey, the pride of Ghana, is a physically imposing, hard-punching lightweight champion,” said Lou DiBella, Commey’s promoter. “We’re thrilled that his first defense will be a high-profile fight against tenacious former world champion Ray Beltran. Richard wants to be a unified champion and a star. On June 28, he has an opportunity to raise his profile worldwide.”

Commey (28-2, 25 KOs) blew away Isa Chaniev via second-round TKO Feb. 2 in Frisco, Texas, to win the vacant IBF world title. He had previously challenged Robert Easter Jr. for that belt, dropping a razor-thin split decision in September 2016. His only other loss came via split decision less than three months later to Denis Shafikov in Shafikov’s home country of Russia. Since then, he has won four in a row and is fully recovered from a right knuckle injury suffered during the Chaniev fight. A proud native of Accra, Ghana, Commey hails from the same neighborhood that produced former world champions Ike Quartey, Joshua Clottey, David Kotey, Alfred Kotey, Joseph Agbeko and the legendary Azumah Nelson.

Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KOs), the former sparring partner to the stars, realized his world championship dreams in February 2018, besting Paulus Moses by unanimous decision to win the WBO lightweight world title. His title reign was short-lived, as he was defeated by Jose Pedraza via unanimous decision last August. Beltran rebounded from that setback, returning in February to knock out then-unbeaten 140-pound contender Hiroki Okada in the ninth round.

Adames (17-0, 14 KOs) has won three straight bouts by knockout since electing to campaign at 154 pounds. A former amateur star from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Adames grew up with 35 siblings and turned to the sport at the age of 12 after an older brother took him to a gym. In his last bout, April 20 on the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan undercard, he blew away perennial contender Frank Galarza in four rounds. Day (17-2-1, 6 KOs), from Freeport, New York, has won six in a row, including two wins against previously unbeaten fighters. He made a statement Feb. 2 in Frisco, Texas, outboxing Ismail Iliev (11-0-1 at the time) over 10 rounds.

“This fight represents a big step in the right direction for me and my career,” Adames said. “I am thrilled with this opportunity, and as I have always promised to my people of the Dominican Republic, I will be the next world champion from the island and the new face of Dominican boxing.”

“Time to show the world who Pat Day is,” Day said. “These are the fights I dreamed of on my way to top 10 contention. Now that I am here, I intend to advance to a world title. I respect what Carlos brings to the table, but he has never fought a guy like me. I am focused on winning and looking good doing it.”

The action-packed ESPN+ stream will include the following bouts:
Saul “Neno” Rodriguez (23-0-1, 17 KOs) will take on Miguel Angel “Miguelito” Gonzalez (24-4, 21 KOs) in a super featherweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds. Rodriguez has notched a pair of knockout wins since returning from a nearly two-year layoff.
Middleweight prospect Tyler Howard (17-0, 11 KOs) will face the upset-minded Manny “Shake Em’ Up Woods (16-8-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
Ruben Rodriguez (6-0, 2 KOs), a 22-year-old super lightweight prospect from Indio, California, will fight Vicente Morales (2-2-2, 1 KO) in a six-rounder.
Raymond Muratalla (7-0, 5 KOs) will look to extend his knockout streak to three against Javier Martinez (4-6, 3 KOs) in a lightweight fight scheduled for six rounds.
Super featherweight sensation Christopher “The Boy” Zavala (4-0, 2 KOs) will fight Prisco Marquez (4-0-1, 1 KO) in a four-rounder.
Middleweight prospect David “Lion of Zion” Kaminsky (4-0, 2 KOs), an 18-year-old from Israel, will face veteran Osbaldo Gonzalez (6-4, 4 KOs) in a four-rounder.
2016 Australian Olympian Daniel Lewis (1-0, 1 KO) will see action in a six-round middleweight contest in his Top Rank debut.
Super lightweight prospect Elvis Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs) will face an opponent to be named in a four-rounder.
For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Sign-up to ESPN+ at www.espnplus.com.

Use the hashtags #CommeyBeltran and #AdamesDay to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

Follow all the action as Jose Ramirez defends the WBC Super Lightweight Title against Jose Zepeda.  The action kicks off at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT with a lightweight fight between Ray Beltran and Hiroki Okada.

THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY..NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1: Good left from Zepeda..

Round 2 Straight left from Zepeda..Jab to body

Round 3 Right from Ramirez..Counter left from Zepeda..Right to body from Ramirez

Round 4 Left from Ramirez..Blood from Ramirez right eye (Ruled a punch)

Round 5 Left to body from Ramirez..

Round 6 Left from Zepeda

Round 7 Right from Ramirez

Round 8 Combination from Zepeda..Blood under left eye of Zepeda…Ramirez lands a left to the body..Good right..2 lefts to the body..a big right and left from Zepeda

Round 9 Good right from Ramirez…Counter.2 rights to the body..Hard left to the body

Round 10 Right from Ramirez…Body shot from Zepeda

Round 11 Left from Zepeda..Body shot..left..Right hook lead..

Round 12 Straight left from Zepeda..Combination from Ramirez

114-114; 115-113; 116-112 JOSE RAMIREZ

Round 1 Jab from Okada…Jab from Beltran..Body shot from Okada..2 punch combinaton..Right from Beltran

Round 2 Right HAND AND DOWN GOES OKADA…Hard left buckles Beltran….Okada landing a flurry on the ropes

Round 3 Left from Beltran..jab..Good combination from Okada..left hook from Beltran…combination..Good right.left hook tot the body..3 punch combination..Okada is cut over the left eye

Round 4 2 punch combination from Beltran….Hard combination on the ropes..Beltran cut around left eye…

Round 5 Good right from Okada..

Round 6 Left hook from Beltran..Right from Okada.

Round 7  Blood from around right eye of Beltran..Beltran lands a left hook

Round 8 Beltran lands a combination..left and right from Okada

Round 9 Double jab and right from Okada…BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES OKADA..BIG FLURRY,,OKADA WOBBLING AROUND THE RING AND DOWN HE GOES AGAIN…FIGHT OVER AT 2:09

Jose Ramirez defended the WBC Super Lightweight title with a 12-round majority decision over Jose Zepeda in front of over 14,000 fans at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

It was a tactical fight that saw Zepeda box and get off to a good a start.  There were several head clashes for which caused cuts on each fighter.  Ramirez was cut around his right eye in round four.

Ramirez started to come on in the middle rounds as he featured some solid body work.

Zepeda righted himself, and he himself was cut under his left eye in round eight, but he was able to keep the fight close on the score cards.  The fight may have been won in the last 15 seconds, as Ramirez landed a nice flurry to take the final stanza.

Ramirez of Avenel, CA won by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 to raise his mark to 24-0.  Zepeda falls to 30-2.

“He was a very a tough and smart southpaw. He came well prepared,” Ramirez said. “He kept a good range and distance. That made it a tough, close fight, but I think I pulled it off in the championship rounds. I landed the most effective punches.”

Said Zepeda: “Jose Ramirez is a great fighter, and his fans really pushed him and gave him momentum.”

Former lightweight world champion Ray Beltran stopped previously undefeated Hiroki Okada in the 9th round of their scheduled 10-round super lightweight bout.

In round two, Beltran was dropped by a hard right that was preceded by a left.  In round three, Okada was cut over his left eye.  Beltran was cut over his left eye in the fourth round.

In round seven, Beltran began to bleed around his right eye.  In round nine, Beltran dropped Okada with a perfect right to the chin.  Okada was hurt, and Beltran went right after Okada and wobbled him before landing a hard right that sent Okada down, and the bout was stopped at 2:08.

Beltran of Phoenix, AZ is 36-8-1 with 22 knockouts.  Okada of Tokyo is 19-1.

The action was fierce from the opening bell, with the two combatants waging a second round for the ages. Beltran knocked Okada (19-1, 13 KOs) down with a crisp left hook, only for Okada to stun Beltran later in the round.

“I knocked him down in the second round, but he came back and got me good, too,” Beltran said. “We knew his plan was to stay at distance and keep me at bay with the jab. Every time I threw my left hook, he kept covering very well. I saw an opening with the right hand and that’s why I started throwing it, and little by little, I kept shortening the distance until I connected with a big right hand and I stopped him.”

Carlos Castro remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Genesis Servania in a super bantamweight bout.

In round seven, Servania was bleeding from around his right eye.

Castro, 121 lbs of Phoenix, AZ won by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 and is now 22-0.  Servania, 121 1/2 lbs of Bacolod City, PHL is 32-2.

Gabriel Flores Jr. remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Alex Rynn Torres in a junior lightweight bout.

Flores, 132.4 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 12-0.  Torres, 132.6 lbs of Mexico City is 6-3.

“I’m getting better with each fight. I felt better than ever,” Flores said. “I get more and more experience with each fight. I feel like I’m getting cleaner. I’m getting sharper, and I’m only going to get better. I’m ready for whoever Top Rank puts in front of me. This is what I do all day, every day.”

Andy Vences remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Dardan Zenunaj in a junior lightweight bout.

Vences, 131 lbs of San Jose, CA won by scores of 80-72 and is now 22-0-1. Zenunaj, 131 lbs of Kosovo is 14-6.

“I felt great coming back after that long rest after suffering the injury. It’s been a long time,” Vences said. “I looked sharp, but I knew this was going to be a tough fight. This guy gave a great fight and went the distance against Andrew Cancio, and Cancio just became a world champion last night. I knew that against a guy like that I was going to need to use all my skills, and I did. I dominated the fight.”

Isidro Ochoa stopped Jesus Guzman in round five of their scheduled six-round super bantamweight bout.

Ochoa beat up Guzman until the fight was stopped by the doctor at 1:18.

Ochoa, 121 3/4 lbs of Fresno is 7-0 with three knockouts. Guzman, 122 3/4 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 7-3.

Cristian Coria stopped Joel Diaz Jr. in round three of a scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round three, Coria landed a left hook to the jaw that sent Diaz to the deck. Cora dropped Diaz again with a hard left hook, and the bout was stopped at 1:50.

Coria, 140 lbs of Famillia, ARG is 28-7-2 with 13 knockouts. Diaz, 138 1/4 lbs of Palmdale, CA is 24-2.

Guido Vianello stopped Andrew Satterfield in the first-round of the their scheduled six-round heavyweight bout

Vianello dropped Satterfield with vicious five-punch combination to the head. Satterfield got to his feet, only to eat about 11 more flush punches, and the fight was stopped at 1:54.

Vianello, 236 lbs of Rome, ITA is 2-0 with two knockouts. Satterfield, 241 1.2 lbs of Marietta, OH is 4-2.

“I felt more relaxed and composed than my first pro fight,” Vianello said. “I am only going to get better.”

Jose Ramirez 138.6 lbs vs. Jose Zepeda 140 lbs
(Ramirez’s WBC Super Lightweight world title – 12 Rounds)
* Zepeda originally weighed 140.2 pounds and and made weight on his second attempt

Ray Beltran 139 lbs vs. Hiroki Okada 139.6 lbs
(Vacant WBC Continental Americas and WBO Intercontinental titles – 10 Rounds)

ESPN+ (4 p.m. ET)

Genesis Servania 121.6 lbs vs. Carlos Castro 121 lbs
(Vacant WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight title -10 Rounds)

Joel Diaz Jr 138.2 lbs vs. Cristian Coria 140 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Andy Vences 131 lbs vs. Dardan Zenunaj 131 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 10/8 Rounds)

Gabriel Flores Jr. 132.4 lbs vs. Alex Torres Rynn 132.6 lbs
(Lightweight – 6 Rounds)

Saul Rodriguez 132.8 lbs vs. Aelio Mesquita 132.2 lbs
(Lightweight – 10/8 Rounds)

Isidro Ochoa 121.8 lbs vs. Jesus Guzman 122.8 lbs
(Featherweight – 6 Rounds)

Guido Vianello 236.4 lbs vs. Andrew Satterfield 241.2 lbs
(Heavyweight – 6 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets to this world championship event priced at $150, $90, $60, $35, and $25 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #RamirezZepeda and #KOCancer to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+
ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports), domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie and more), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC, Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation, delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.

FRESNO, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2019) – Fresno’s professional franchise, Jose Ramirez, is set for another world title defense homecoming. Ramirez (23-0, 16 KOs) will seek to make the second successful defense of his WBC super lightweight world title against Jose “Chon” Zepeda (30-1, 25 KOs) on Sunday from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. In the co-feature, former lightweight world champion Ray Beltran will tussle with the unbeaten Hiroki Okada in a 140-pound battle.

And, in a special attraction, 18-year-old sensation Gabriel Flores Jr. will look to move to 12-0 against Alex Torres Rynn in a six-round lightweight bout.

Ramirez-Zepeda and Beltran-Okada will headline a special Top Rank on ESPN card beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Flores-Rynn will be part of the ESPN+ undercard stream beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Here is what the fighters had to say at the final press conference Friday at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino.

Jose Ramirez

On his second fight working with trainer Robert Garcia

“I feel like I’m growing as a fighter. The older I get, the more mature I feel, the more experience I get. I feel like every fight I improve my skills and power. I’m very thankful to have a {trainer} like Robert Garcia. I train in a lot of gyms, but no gym has a family-oriented atmosphere like the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy.”

“I feel like I have so many tools in my toolbox, and I’m ready for a guy like Jose Zepeda. He’s a good fighter. He’s a very smart fighter. He doesn’t over-commit. He likes to keep his distance, and I’m ready for that. He’s the type of experienced fighter that’s only going to make me grow.I’m just honored to be a part of this big fight. There are no easy fights as a world champion. Everybody wants to fight you because they have more to win, obviously. For me, it’s another title defense, but in my mind, I train like I’m an underdog. I train like it’s my first world title.”

Jose Zepeda

On his second world title shot

“My first title shot {against Terry Flanagan} was three years ago, and my shoulder gave in and I wasn’t able to continue. I feel like I was ready for that fight. It didn’t work out. After that, I kept working, and I fought probably three months after that. I kept fighting, and three years later, I get the opportunity against Ramirez. I would like to thank Jose Ramirez and his team, especially to fight in this event to KO cancer.”

On training with Freddie Roach, Ramirez’s former trainer

“Freddie is probably the smartest coach out there. He trained Jose, and he told me what everybody knows. He’s a tough fighter, and he has a will to win. We have to box him. He’s a strong guy. Working with Freddie Roach has been great. Like I said, he’s very smart. His advice is great, and we’re ready for this fight.”

“It’s every boxer’s dream {to win a world title.} I get a second opportunity. I’m working hard. Hopefully no accidents happen. That’s all I pray for.”

Ray Beltran

On moving from lightweight to super lightweight

“We’re going to see how we feel. I’m just hoping to get an opportunity at 135 or 140.”

On rebounding from the Jose Pedraza defeat

“My last fight, I didn’t expect to lose. I made some mistakes. That’s in the past. I’m the type of person that can’t give up. I’m going to get up and keep moving forward.”

Hiroki Okada

“I would like to thank Bob Arum, Rick Mirigian, and everyone from Top Rank and ESPN who made this great opportunity possible. It’s an honor to be fighting for such a worthy cause. As far as being shown on ESPN to such an enormous audience, I am the former Japanese champion and the former WBO Asia Pacific champion. I am known as a boxer in Japan, but the American audience doesn’t really know who I am. I had a great learning experience last time in my first fight in America. I love it here. I’m prepared to build on that, and I want to make a good impression and show my skills to the American audience.”

“Everybody in Japan and in the boxing world knows who Ray Beltran is. It’s an honor just to be able to get in the ring with him. I know he’s very tough and very skilled. In order to win, I’ve trained harder than I ever have. This is the chance of my lifetime. I have sparred a lot of good fighters, including Takeshi Inoue, who went neck and neck with Jaime Munguia just recently. ‘m going to put everything into it to win this fight on Sunday.”

Gabriel Flores Jr.

“I’ve been seeing this all over social media. This is going to be my {breakout} year. I feel great. I got a nutritionist now, a great one. I feel like it’s helping me a lot. I’m really focused. We’re getting great sparring with world champions, and we’re making sure that we are ready all the way. The momentum is just going to keep growing and growing.”

ESPN, 7 p.m. ET

Jose Ramirez (champion) vs. Jose Zepeda (challenger), 12 rounds, WBC super lightweight world title

Ray Beltran vs. Hiroki Okada, 10 rounds, vacant WBC Continental Americas and WBO Intercontinental 140-pound titles

ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET

Genesis Servania vs. Carlos Castro, 10 rounds, vacant WBC Continental Americas super bantamweight title

Cristian Coria vs. Joel Diaz, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Andy Vences vs. Dardan Zenunaj, 10/8 rounds, super featherweight

Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Alex Torres Rynn, 6 rounds, lightweight

Saul Rodriguez vs. Aelio Mesquita, 10/8 rounds, lightweight

Isidro Ochoa vs. Jesus Guzman, 6 rounds, featherweight

Guido Vianello vs. Andrew Satterfield, 6 rounds, heavyweight

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets to this world championship event priced at $150, $90, $60, $35, and $25 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #RamirezZepeda and #KOCancer to join the conversation on social media.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Comebacks, always perilous and often controversial, help separate the good from the bad in a notoriously unpredictable craft. It just wouldn’t be the same without them, which is another way of saying it wouldn’t be the same without Ray Beltran.

Beltran’s life has been about comebacks. They define him. Beltran makes another one Sunday, an appropriate day for an ESPN card (7 p.m., ET) that features a couple of the good guys.

There’s Beltran in the co-main event at a heavier weight and with a still inexhaustible will to fight on. In the main, there’s Jose Ramirez, who is raising money to fight cancer before and after he fights Jose Zepeda at Save Mart Arena in Fresno, Calif.

For Beltran, the bout at junior welterweight against Hiroki Okada marks the his 20th year as a pro in the unforgiving art of landing – and taking – punches. Two decades as a prospect, journeyman, heralded sparring partner, contender and world champion are for most fighters an exhaustive resume.

But most aren’t Beltran, who emerges from it all as a survivor with some of the inevitable scars, yet still a trademark smile that says – again and again – that there’s much left to do. Above all, his title as world champion at lightweight was too short. Beltran, Manny Pacquiao’s former sparring partner, won it a year ago in a decision against Paulus Moses and lost a first defense against Jose Pedraza six months later in Glendale, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix, his adopted hometown.

He’s back, perhaps, because he wants to add some time and money to his reign with a title belt. There’s motivation, perhaps, in seeking proof his brief time with a title wasn’t a temporary coincidence and could have been brought on in the eighth round by a torn tendon between his wrist and left hand.

But I’m also guessing he’d be back no matter what. He could have been a champion for three years. He could have had five successful title defenses and made big money in a loss to Vasiliy Lomachenko in a sixth defense.

But he’d be back, regardless, because the long fight is in his genes.

Before his loss on the scorecards to the surprising Pedraza on August 25, I asked Beltran (35-8-1, 21 KOs) what he wanted to do after boxing. He hesitated. Then, he said he might like to try working in the media or in some other role at ringside. But his real answer was in the hesitation. For now, he isn’t going anywhere other than through those ropes and into more of harm’s way.

That’s his identity. He has stood in lines, waited his time and learned his craft while awaiting his green card for permanent U.S. residence. Beltran, who grew up in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, told me he eventually wants to gain his U.S. citizenship, while presumably also re-gaining a world title.

For now, that means a move up the scale, from 135 pounds to 140, against Okada (19-0, 13 KOs), who will fight in the U.S. for only the second time after winning his first 18 bouts at home in the same arena – the 1,800-seat Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The Japanese junior-welterweight then signed with Top Rank and won his U.S. debut last September, also in Fresno on a card featuring Ramirez.

I know very little about Okada. Then again, I didn’t know much about Pedraza, a Puerto Rican lightweight, before he upset Beltran and moved on to a loss to the feared Lomachenko. It looks as if Top Rank is looking at Beltran or Okada as a possibility for Ramirez, who is poised to become a major player in a weight class full of emerging stars.

“If it’s at 140, then I will be a two-division world champion,’’ Beltran said when the Okada fight was announced. “And if it’s at 135, then I will be a two-time lightweight champion.’’

No translation necessary. He’s not going anywhere.

FRESNO, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2019) — WBC super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez has a pair of fights this week.

In the ring, the Avenal, Calif., native will defend his WBC super lightweight world title against Jose “Chon” Zepeda on Sunday at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. Outside the ring, Ramirez will help raise money and awareness for cancer research to assist men, women, and children who are afflicted with the disease.

Ramirez (23-0, 16 KOs) will pay a special visit to the Community Cancer Institute in Clovis, Calif., on Thursday at 12:30 p.m., where he will meet with patients and staff members. He will then auction off his fight-worn purple gloves and assorted fight night attire, with all proceeds benefitting the Community Cancer Institute. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to the Community Cancer Institute, and Ramirez and his manager, Rick Mirigian, will also donate 1,000 tickets to Community Cancer Institute patients and their families.

“This is not just about boxing. I am proud to dedicate my performance against Zepeda to the fight against cancer and to work with the great people at the Community Cancer Institute,” Ramirez said. “The people in the Central Valley have supported me since my amateur days, and I feel it’s important for me to use my platform in a positive way.

“I lost both of my grandparents to cancer. Rick Mirgian’s mother is battling cancer. It’s a universal thing. So many families know someone who is affected by cancer. When someone has cancer, it hits the whole family. Doing an event dedicated to people suffering from cancer will show them that they are supported and loved.”

Ramirez-Zepeda and the 140-pound showdown between former lightweight world champion Ray Beltran and Hiroki Okada will headline a special Top Rank on ESPN card beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets to this world championship event priced at $150, $90, $60, $35, and $25 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #RamirezZepeda and #KOCancer to join the conversation on social media.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 28, 2019) — WBC super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez is intent on his staking his claim as the world’s best 140-pounder.

Former WBO lightweight world champion Ray Beltran, who lost his title to Jose “Sniper” Pedraza last August, will move up to the super lightweight division for his next challenge.

Ramirez will make the second defense of his title against Jose “Chon” Zepeda, and Beltran will face the unbeaten Hiroki Okada in a 10-round super lightweight bout on Sunday, Feb. 10 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. Ramirez-Zepeda and Beltran-Okada will headline a special ESPN/ESPN Deportes telecast, which begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Ramirez will auction off his fight-worn trunks, special gloves, shirt, and shoes, with all proceeds benefitting the Community Cancer Institute in Clovis, Calif. A portion of all ticket sales will also be donated to the Community Cancer Institute.

Ramirez defended his title last Sept. 14 in a Fight of the Year contender versus Antonio Orozco, scoring a pair of knockdowns and winning a unanimous decision.

On Monday, Ramirez and Beltran met the media. This is what they had to say.

Jose Ramirez

On his second fight with Robert Garcia

“Our chemistry is great. My confidence is growing with every fight. He is bringing the best out of me. I’m still a young champion, and I am only going to get better. This has been the best camp of my career. Robert is bringing the fighter out of me and working on the things I need to work on.”

On Jose Zepeda

“I’m more concerned with what I bring to the table. Zepeda is a good fighter. He is 30-1 and a solid southpaw boxer. It’s my job to neutralize him and take control of the fight. I’m still a hungry fighter. I train to win. Hopefully, Zepeda helps me grow as a fighter.”

On potential fights, including Regis Prograis

“It’s going to happen. It’s a matter of when it will happen. We both want to fight. When his tournament is over, we can make it a reality. I have my job to do, and I would love to unify with Maurice Hooker. But my focus now is Zepeda. I have to beat him to make those other fights a reality.”

Ray Beltran

On the Pedraza loss and his surgically repaired left hand

“I don’t want to make excuses about the fight. I respect Pedraza. He fought a great fight. It was his night. I’ve used my hand in sparring against welterweights, and it felt great.”

On fighting Okada

“Okada is a dangerous fighter who will come forward and make for an entertaining fight. If the knockout comes, it comes.”

On the status of his green card application

“Hopefully, in the next few months, I’ll get my green card and then become a citizen after that. I love Mexico and visiting my family there, but my life is here now. This country has given me so much.”

FRESNO, Calif (Jan. 16, 2019) —Ray Beltran’s road back to title contention begins Sunday, Feb. 10. The former lightweight world champion will face the unbeaten Hiroki Okada in a 10-round super lightweight fight as the co-feature to the Jose Ramirez-Jose Zepeda super lightweight championship bout at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

Ramirez-Zepeda and Beltran-Okada will headline a special Top Rank on ESPN card beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

The entire undercard, including the super bantamweight showdown between Genesis Servania and the undefeated Carlos Castro, will stream live beginning at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+ – the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

“I am excited about 2019, and this camp has been a great way to start my journey to another world title opportunity,” Beltran said. “If it’s at 140, then I will be a two-division world champion, and if it’s at 135, then I will be a two-time lightweight champion. I will leave that to Top Rank and my manager, Steven Feder. I made some changes and am now working with Marvin Somodio, who for many years learned from the great Freddie Roach. Marvin and my longtime strength coach, Bryan McComb, are bringing me back to the skills and basics that got me here. I’m a boxer, I’m a prizefighter, and that’s what my fans will see Feb. 10.”

“To challenge for the world title, I’ve got to beat Beltran,” Okada said. “As a former world champion, I know he’s highly skilled. I know he’s tough, so I’ll be prepared for a good fight. It’s an honor to be able to fight him, and I’m confident that I will win. I’ve watched his fights on video, and I believe in my power coming into this fight.

Beltran (35-8-1, 21 KOs) fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2018 when he captured the WBO lightweight world title with a bruising unanimous decision over Paulus Moses in Reno, Nev. A seasoned pro who made his name as a sparring partner to the stars, Beltran began his career 5-2 and didn’t receive his first world title shot until Sept. 7, 2013. On that evening in Glasgow, Scotland, he was saddled with a highly controversial draw versus hometown favorite and WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns. Beltran lost a wide points decision to pound-for-pound great Terence “Bud” Crawford the following year but rebounded with a six-bout unbeaten streak heading into the Moses bout.

Beltran’s world title reign ended on Aug. 25 of last year, as Jose “Sniper” Pedraza put forth a virtuoso boxing clinic to win the title via unanimous decision. After spending most of his career as a lightweight, Beltran will move up five pounds to face Okada (19-0, 13 KOs), a former Japanese super lightweight champion who is ranked in the top 10 at 140 pounds by all four major sanctioning organizations. Okada fought twice in 2018, most recently notching a well-earned split decision verdict against Cristian “El Zorro” Coria on Sept. 14 in Fresno.

Headlining the ESPN+ stream will be Servania (32-1, 15 KOs), a 27-year-old Filipino who proved his world-class status during his 2017 featherweight world title challenge against Oscar Valdez. Servania and Valdez traded knockdowns in one of the year’s best fights, with Valdez retaining his title by unanimous decision. Servania has won three in a row since the Valdez war, including a third-round knockout over Carlos Carlson on Sept. 28 in Oakland, Calif. Castro (21-0, 9 KOs), a Phoenix native, is an all-action fighter who cut his teeth with nearly 200 bouts in the amateur ranks. In his last bout, Aug. 25 on the Pedraza-Beltran undercard, he got the better of a toe-to-toe battle against Diuhl “Elegante” Olguin to win a unanimous decision.

“I’m really looking forward to my next fight in Fresno because my opponent is a good fighter. He is undefeated,” Servania said. “I want to fight tough opponents. I’m confident about this fight because I’ve been training hard and I know I will give my best.”

“It has been a tough road to get to 21-0, but it also has been a great experience,” Castro said. “This upcoming fight is another important step towards a world title fight. I know exactly who Servania is, and I will be ready for him.”

The ESPN+ stream will also feature:

Gabriel Flores Jr. (11-0, 5 KOs), the 18-year-old phenom from Stockton, Calif., will take on Alex Torres Rynn (6-2, 3 KOs) in a six-round lightweight contest.

Unbeaten super featherweight contender Andy “El Tiburon” Vences (21-0-1, 12 KOs) will continue his march toward a world title shot against Dardan Zenunaj (14-5, 11 KOs) in a bout scheduled for eight or 10 rounds.

Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello (1-0, 1 KO), the 6-foot-6 heavyweight puncher who represented Italy at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will face Andrew Satterfield (4-1, 2 KOs) in a scheduled six-rounder. Vianello trains with Hall of Famer Abel Sanchez in Big Bear Lake, Calif.

Saul “Neno” Rodriguez (22-0-1, 16 KOs), in his second fight since returning from a nearly two-year layoff, will take on Aelio Mesquita (17-3, 15 KOs) in a lightweight fight scheduled for eight or 10 rounds.

Fresno native and featherweight prospect Isidro Ochoa (6-0, 2 KOs) will make his fourth Save Mart Center appearance as a pro against Jesus Guzman (6-2, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder.

Follow all the action as Ray Beltan defends the WBO Lightweight title against Jose Pedraza.  The action begins at 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT with the WBO Super Bantamweight title bout between Isaac Dogboe and Hidenori Otake.  Also featured will be a women’s bout between Mikaela Mayer and Edina Kiss.

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Round 1 

Round 2 Right from Pedraza…Uppercut..Beltran gets in a left to the body..Cut around the left eye of Beltran..Right from Pedraza..Straight left..Body..Good right from Beltran…Pedraza out-lands Beltran 24-13 in round

Round 3 Body shot from Beltran…Jab from Pedraza..2 more..Left drives Beltran back

Round 4 Beltran lands a left to the body..Pedraza lands a right hook..Right from Beltran..Combination

Round 5 Beltran lands a left hook..Jab…2 chopping rights from Pedraza..

Round 6  Uppercut from Beltran..Beltran out-landed Pedraza 17-8 in round

Round 7  Little swelling under left eye of Pedraza…Lunging left hook from Beltran

Round 8  Beltran lands a right..Hard straight right..Good right hook from Pedraza..Left..2 punches from Beltran..

Round 9 Jab from Pedraza..

Round 10 Uppercut from Pedraza..Right from Beltran..

Round 11 Jab from Pedraza….UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES BELTRAN..

Round 12 Huge combination from Pedraza at the end of the round that battered the head of Beltran

Beltran landed 137-515      Pedraza landed 160-556

117-110 twice and 115-112 FOR JOSE PEDRAZA

Round 1 Mayer lands a jab…RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES KISS..Right to the head..Right..

Round 2 Mayer jabbing…

Round 3 Right from Mayer..Jab..4 body shots….KISS QUITS ON STOOL

Round 1 Dogboe lands a body shot,..Uppercut and left hook..Left hook lands solid..HUGE LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES OTAKE…BIG RIGHT AND OTAKE’S GLOVE TOUCHES THE CANVAS…Big left..and another,,,HUGE COMBINATION AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

GLENDALE, Ariz. –Ray Beltran is known for going the distance. Any distance. But this time it was too long. Two rounds too long.

Jose Pedraza ended Beltran’s short reign as the World Boxing Organization’s lightweight champion, scoring a knockdown Saturday night with a left uppercut in the 11^th round and a blitz of undefended punches in an emphatic finish to the bout in the 12^th.

On the scorecards, there was never a doubt. Pedraza was 117-110, 115-112, 117-110 winner over Beltran, the favorite of a lively Gila River Arena crowd of nearly 5,000.

“We did everything that we needed to do to win this fight,’’ said Pedraza (25-2, 12 KOs), a switch-hitting Puerto Rican who cut Beltran (35-8-1, 21 KOs) above the left eye in an early round and endured his brawling power in the later round. “We followed the game plan perfectly. I knew how tough this fight was going to be and at moments it got very difficult, but thanks to the focus and the guidance from my corner, we were able to win round by round and get the win.”

For Pedraza, the victory means a probable date on December 1 against pound-for-pound contender Vasiliy Lomachenko, who has been on the mend from shoulder surgery.

“Now I can talk about the future,’’ Pedraza said.  “I want to unify the division. I want to battle against all the champions. I want the big names. Bring Lomachenko! I have the perfect style to beat him.”

He might, he just might, said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

“He beat a very, very tough guy with a very, very cerebral fight,’’ Arum said. “He believes he has the style to beat Lomachenko.’’

For the 37-year-old Beltran, the future was not so certain. However, Arum said the Phoenix lightweight intends to keep on fighting. Anything else would have been surprise. Beltran, a Mexican, has never been the retiring type, not in his career or his ongoing quest of green card.

“As far as the future, it’s too early to tell,’’ said Beltran, who entered the ring with Phoenix Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal. “This fight, I think was tough and very close.

“The knockdown was the difference.’’

Dogboe delivers royal statement, scores first-round stoppage

There’s royalty in the blood and power in the hands.

Phoenix super-bantamweight Carlos Castro has a new deal and the same record. He was unbeaten when he signed with Top Rank. Castro (21-0, 9 KOs) is still unbeaten, winning the deal’s debut — a unanimous decision Mexican Diuhl Olguin (12-12-2, ( KOS) in front of a hometown crowd at Gila River on a card featuring Beltran-Pedraza.

Lozado struggles to a dull draw

Mexican lightweight Antonio Lozada Jr (40-2-1, 34 KOs) couldn’t sustain much of anything long enough over eight rounds in and-up down bout fight with Hector Ambriz (12-7-2, also of Mexico. It was dull. It was also a draw. It’s not clear what’s next for Lozada. Top Ranks hopes to put him in against Teofimo Lopez.

Phoenix featherweight De Vaca wins gutsy decision

Phoenix featherweight Francisco De Vaca (19-0, 6 KOs) had less power, but more resiliency than Mexican Jesus Serrano (17-7-2, 12 KOs) in crowd-pleasing featherweight brawl. De Vaca, who had ex-Oscar De La Hoya trainer Pedro Alcazar in his corner, prevailed, winning a decision that was gritty as it was unanimous.

AZ bantamweight Macias strikes with huge KO punch

It didn’t take long for some Arizona punch to be added to the mix. Breenan Macias (3-0, 2 KOs), a Goodyear, AZ, bantamweight trained by Robert Garcia, delivered it, a right hand that landed, 10 proof, in the final second of the third round.. Philip Adyaka (7-12, 4 KOs), of St Paul, Minn, never recovered. He was dazed and done, officially stopped at 3:00 of the third.

Trevor McCumby wins TKO
Phoenix light-heavyweight Trevor McCumby (24-0-0-1, 18 KOs)continued the AZ theme, overwhelming Jessie Nicklow with punches that fell like rain out of micro-burst storm. With a defenseless NIcklow (27-9-3, 9 KOs), Baltimore, slumping in a neutral corner, the referee stopped it at 40 seconds of the third round.

Beltran-Pedraza card heats up AZ with first bell

An empty, cool arena was a refuge from the desert’s soaring temperatures, but it was no escape for junior-welterweight Sagadat Rakhmankul and Christian Aquirre, who began to heat things up at Gila River Saturday afternoon in the first fight on a card featuring Ray Beltran and Jose Pedraza.

Rakhmankul (3-0, 1 KO), a Kazak managed by Vasiliy Lomachenko manager Egis Klimas, landed repeated uppercuts against the wild swinging Aguirre (7-3, 3 KOs) of West, Valley, Utah. In the Rakhmankul got bloodied and a unanimous decision over Aquirre, who somehow remained upright in spite of a swing-for-the-fences style that left him spinning like a top.

By Norm Frauenheim-

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Jose Pedraza looks at Ray Beltran and sees something he recognizes. Call it opportunity. There aren’t many. After nearly two decades, Beltran finally gets his chance to hear himself introduced as the defending champion.

Pedraza has experienced that moment. But it was fleeting. The belt was gone, almost faster than the celebration. But the lesson remains. This time, Pedraza hopes to take a title that will stick around for a while, too.

“I feel very fortunate,” said Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs), who will attempt to take the World Boxing Organization’s lightweight title from Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) tonight on ESPN at Gila River Arena. “This is a great opportunity and I am going to take full advantage of it. Everything happens at the right time.”

Both fighters made weight Friday. Pedraza was ta 134.4 pounds; Beltran at 134.6

Pedraza, a former junior-lightweight champion, created a mild buzz this week with an impressive public workout at Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal’s 9th Street Gym in downtown Phoenix. He looked agile, athletic and mobile enough to give the 37-year-old Beltran some trouble, especially if the bout goes into the later rounds. Above all, Pedraza has the advantage of youth. He’s 29.

“Another world title would mean a lot to me because not everybody gets the opportunity to be a two-time champion,” said Pedraza, a Puerto Rican who won’t be the favorite of Mexican and Mexican-American fans expected to be in the crowd for Beltran.

Pedraza has won two fights since his lone loss by stoppage to Gervonta Davis in January, 2017. Since then, he’s won two fights and watched his home island struggle to come back from Hurricane Maria.

“For the island, a victory would mean a lot too because we need happiness and positive vibes,’’ he said. “After the first loss, I kept training but the opportunities didn’t come and then Hurricane Maria happened, so that stalled things even more. So, we had to wait to get back in the ring.”

Early signs indicate he can’t wait to step back through those ropes. For the experienced Beltran, that probably means aggressiveness early in an attempt at stoppage before perhaps the eighth. If the bout goes into the final four rounds, Pedraza’s younger legs might carry him to a scorecard victory.

The ESPN telecast includes WBO super-bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe (19-0, 12 KOs) against Hidenori Otake (31-2-3, 14 KOs) of Japan. At Friday’s weigh-in Dogboe was 121.0 pounds; Otake 121.4. The ESPN telecast is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET).

The undercard will begin at 3:30 p.m. PT. It can be seen on ESPN+.

• Ray Beltran 134.6 lbs vs. José Pedraza 134.4 lbs
(WBO Lightweight title – 12 Rounds)

• Isaac Dogboe 121 lbs vs. Hidenori Otake 121.4 lbs
(WBO Junior Featherweight title – 12 Rounds)

• Mikaela Mayer 129.4 lbs vs. Edina Kiss 128.6 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 6 Rounds)

• Arnold Barboza Jr. 141.6 lbs vs. Luis Solis 142 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 10 Rounds)

• Antonio Lozada Jr. 137 lbs vs. Hector Ambriz 136.6 lbs
(Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

• Francisco De Vaca 124.4 lbs vs. Jesus Serrano 126.8 lbs
(Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

• Carlos Castro 121.4 lbs vs. Diuhl Olguin 121.2 lbs
(Super Bantamweight – 8 Rounds)

• Robson Conceicao 129.8 lbs vs. Edgar Cantu 129 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

• Trevor McCumby 172.4 lbs vs. Jessie Nicklow 169.8 lbs
(Light Heavyweight – 8 Rounds)

• Sagadat Rakhmankul 150 lbs vs. Christian Aguirre 151.2 lbs
(Super Welterweight – 6 Rounds)

• Breenan Macias 116.6 lbs vs. Philip Adyaka 118.4 lbs
(Bantamweight – 4 Rounds)

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (Aug. 23, 2018) – The stakes are high for WBO lightweight world champion Ray Beltran and challenger José “Sniper” Pedraza, with the winner expected to fight WBA lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko later this year. Beltran and Pedraza met at the final press conference for the next edition of “Top Rank on ESPN”, which will take place Saturday evening at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona (10:30 ET/7:30 PST).

In the co-feature, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will make the first defense of his WBO junior featherweight title against Japanese challenger Hidenori Otake. And, in a six-round super featherweight special attraction, 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer will make her long-awaited ESPN network debut against former world title challenger Edina Kiss.

Here is what they had to say.

Ray Beltran

“Now I have the belt and people see me as a champion. But before that, I already felt like a champion. It’s good to get recognition from the boxing world, but like I said before, I don’t feel different. Things have changed around me, but I’m still the same guy. I’m a contender. I’m the underdog. Once you get the world title, there are new challenges. You’re always looking for the best challenges out there, and now I have a very important fight against a very difficult and tough opponent. In my mind, I don’t get overconfident. I get confident, but not overconfident.”

“In 1996, I came to the United States illegally. I did it, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Thanks to that, I’m making my dream come true. I want to dedicate this fight to all of the immigrants all over the world, especially to my Mexican people. I represent them with so much pride. Just to show the world that we don’t come to commit no crime. We come here to get a better future for our family. I represent that. I represent the truth.”

José Pedraza

“It means a lot to me. This is the second opportunity I’m getting for a world title. I really want to win this world title because I want to bring happiness to Puerto Rico after what happened with Hurricane Maria.”

“It will be a lot of emotion and happiness for me when they say, ‘and the new champion’. but I don’t like to get ahead of myself. One step at a time, but if I win the title, it’s going to mean a lot to Puerto Rico. It’s going to bring happiness to my people.”

Isaac Dogboe

“First and foremost, I give all the glory to the almighty God for bringing me here safely and making me who I am today. Otake is a great guy, and I can’t wait to get back on ESPN. It’s a big platform for myself and also a great platform to showcase my talent once again. I want to say thank you to Bob Arum and Top Rank promotions and all the staff for putting this show together. It’s great. It is always a huge platform. Like I said, Otake is a great guy. Physically, he’s strong. This is his second world title challenge, his second opportunity, and we know he’s going to come out fighting. He’s going to come out guns blazing. But, you know, like we always say, we don’t have to get ready, we’re always prepared. Everything he brings to the table, we have an answer for it. Come Saturday night, you don’t have to stay at home. Everyone has to come down to the Gila River Arena. It’s going to be fireworks because there’s no way that something we worked so hard for is going to slip through our hands. He says he’s going to be fighting for his soul. I have no need for his soul because I did not create him. I just want to knock him out on Saturday night and retain my title.”

“Hidenori is very tough, and he’s a credit to Japan. He’s one of the guys who’s making Japan boxing rise. At this moment, he’s a stumbling block that’s in my way to get to a unification fight. We are looking to go out there Saturday night and put on a masterclass performance and look forward to unify the division, God willing. With Top Rank and Bob Arum, we can hopefully fight at the end of the year or early next year in a unification fight. Hard work never stops. Right now, our main target is to take care of Hidenori Otake.”

Hidenori Otake

“First of all, I am so very happy to be here. I want to thank Bob Arum and everyone at Top Rank for giving me this amazing opportunity. As you may know, in my first world title match in England {against Scott Quigg}, I lost. As happy as I am, taking that into consideration, I have trained very hard to make the most of this opportunity.”

Mikaela Mayer

“It’s been an amazing year. I didn’t really know what to expect going into the pros. I wanted to fight often. I knew coming out of the amateurs {where} I was fighting regularly that the worst thing that could happen would be not getting fights as a pro. I think Top Rank has moved me really well. I’m extremely happy. Seven fights in one year is amazing, more than we expected to have. That’s great, and this is a huge opportunity, not just for my career, but for women’s boxing. It’s time that women get put on the big stage, so thank you Top Rank for believing in me and trusting in women’s boxing. I’m ready to put on a good show.”

On getting the KO: “I want knockouts because I want people to be excited to see my fights. Not only that, but I know I have the power to stop these girls. Me and my team have been working really hard on the small changes from the amateurs to the pros. They’re small, but very important. A big one is me sitting down on my punches and not pulling out. I plan on taking it to her. I’m tall and I’m lean, but coach Al {Mitchell} is going to get me fighting on the inside. I plan on backing her up.”

ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET
Ray Beltran (champion) vs. José Pedraza (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO lightweight title

Mikaela Mayer vs. Edina Kiss, 6 rounds, super featherweight

Isaac Dogboe (champion) vs. Hidenori Otake (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO junior featherweight title

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET
Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Luis Solis, 10 rounds, super lightweight

Antonio Lozada Jr. vs. Hector Ambriz, 10/8 rounds, lightweight

Francisco De Vaca vs. Jesus Serrano, 10/8 rounds, featherweight

Robson Conceicao vs. Edgar Cantu, 8 rounds, super featherweight

Trevor McCumby vs. Jessie Nicklow, 8/6 rounds, light heavyweight

Carlos Castro vs. Diuhl Olguin, 10/8 rounds, super bantamweight

Sagadat Rakhmankulov vs. Christian Aguirre, 8/6 rounds, super welterweight

Breenan Macias vs. Philip Adyaka, 4 rounds, bantamweight

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza, #DogboeOtake, and #MayerKiss to join the conversation on social media.

By Norm Frauenheim-

PHOENIX – Going the distance is more than another cliché for Ray Beltran. It’s life. He’s fought 12 rounds for a title. He’s endured another 12 against feared Terence Crawford. He’s gone 12 and wound up with nothing more than frustration at feeling as though he had been robbed. Within the ropes, there’s always been one more. Bouts start. Bouts end.

Outside those ropes, however, there’s one fight that continues. Beltran is winning that one, too. His U.S. immigration process is further along than it has ever been. His manager, Steven Feder, said Beltran has qualified for his work permit and his travel permit. He’s waiting to receive those documents.

His application includes an important addition for an outstanding accomplishment, the World Boxing Organization’s lightweight title. Now, he’s waiting on a date for an interview with an immigration official, probably in Phoenix where he’ll defend that title Saturday night against Puerto Rican challenger Jose Pedraza at Gila River Arena in suburban Glendale in an ESPN-televised bout.

After the expected interview, Feder says he’s one step from acquiring a green card, a legal title that represents some security in a thoroughly unpredictable world. The long, winding labyrinth through process and bureaucracy appears to be as close to finished as it can be. But don’t tell that to Beltran. For him, it’s an ongoing quest and still a powerful source of motivation.

“I won’t feel like I’m fully free until I’m fully legal,’’ Beltran said Wednesday in 100-degree temperatures at Michael Carbajal’s 9th Street Gym.

Beltran’s first defense of a title he won in February is about a lot of things, of course. At one level, it’s about home. He arrived in Phoenix from his native Mexico in the late 1990s, but left to live in Detroit with late Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward and then to Los Angeles for a long gig as Manny Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner. But he liked life in the desert, even summer those temperatures that had everyone searching futilely for a breeze Wednesday. The heat and the city suit him. He wears a logo with the town’s symbol, a mythic bird, on his shorts and T-shirts.

The message is clear: Phoenix is where Beltran (35-7-1 21 KOs) intends to make a stand for himself and his family against the skilled Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs). Along the way, he could get a shot at a good payday. Beat Pedraza and it looks as if he might get a career-high check against Vasiliy Lomachenko, Crawford’s main challenger in the pound-for-pound debate.

But turning that dream into reality is still a fight for the 37-year-old, who found himself back in the gym where he sparred with Carbajal before Carbajal finished his Hall of Fame career with an 11th-round stoppage of Jorge Arce in 1999.

Beltran made a vacant title his own in his last outing against Paulus Moses in Reno by going that familiar distance despite an injury to his left hand. The bout was difficult, yet the motivation was never absent. Beltran could hear it from his cornermen, who shouted ‘’Green card, Green card” in the later rounds. A victory over Pedraza, he says, will put him that much closer to a legal title worth more than an acronym-sponsored belt ever could.

“It’s there, right there, but I still have to fight for that green card,’’ said Beltran, who says his next step is to acquire citizenship. “Winning Saturday would be like some insurance on what I’ve been fighting for, fighting for a long time.’’

PHOENIX (Aug. 22, 2018) – Ray Beltran is returning home to defend his title, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe is looking to bring some lightning and thunder to the desert, and Mikaela Mayer is ready for her ESPN network debut.

Beltran will defend the WBO lightweight title against former 130-pound champion José Pedraza, Dogboe will make the first defense of his WBO 122-pound world title against Hidenori Otake, and Mayer will face off against Edina Kiss in a six-round special attraction.

Beltran-Pedraza, Dogboe-Otake, and Mayer-Kiss will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The entire undercard will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m ET.

The ESPN+ broadcast will include appearances by a trio of Phoenix natives: super bantamweight contender Carlos Castro (20-0, 9 KOs) against Diuhl Olguin, Trevor McCumby (23-0, 18 KOs) versus Jessie Nicklow (27-7-3, 9 KOs) in a light heavyweight fight, and Francisco “Panchito” De Vaca (18-0, 6 KOs) taking on Jesus Serrano (17-6-2, 12 KOs) in a featherweight bout. 2016 Brazilian gold medalist Robson Conceicao (8-0, 5 KOs) will be action in a super featherweight bout against Edgar Cantu (7-4-2, 1 KO), Felix Verdejo conquerer Antonio Lozada Jr. (40-2, 34 KOs) will duke it out against Hector Ambriz (12-7-1, 6 KOs) at lightweight, and unbeaten 140-pound contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (18-0, 6 KOs) will face Luis Solis (23-9-4, 20 KOs).

On Wednesday, many of the fighters from Saturday’s 11-fight card worked out for the media at Michael Carbajal’s 9th Street Gym. This is what they had to say.

Ray Beltran

On life as a world champion: “Things have changed a little bit, the way people talk to me and act around me. For me, I still feel like I’m a contender. I’m still the underdog.”

“I think fighting Jose Pedraza and defending my world title near my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, is a dream come true. Defending my title against a Puerto Rican, with the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, there’s nothing better than that.”

On fighting in Arizona: “You know how I am. I try to fight and put on a good show and try to make my fans happy. It’s going to be a great fight!”

José Pedraza

On the significance of becoming a two-weight world champion: “It would mean a lot to me because not everyone gets the opportunity to become a world champion. Even fewer boxers become two-division world champions. I am going to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

On staying active in 2018 with three fights: “I like to be more active. I can see the difference. I am more focused. I see that now I’m more mature as a fighter.”

On fighting pressure fighters like Beltran: “A pressure fighter is a perfect style for me because I am more of a boxer. The pressure Beltran puts on a fighter is different because he knows how to cut the ring off very well. He’s going to be tough, but I know we’re going to be victorious.”

Isaac Dogboe

On life as a world champion: “I give praise to the man upstairs, God of creation. We thank him for everything that has happened to Team Dogboe. Being a world champion is great.”

On the reception he received in his native Ghana after winning the title: “The whole nation came out to meet me at the airport. It was amazing.”

On joining the rich history of Ghanaian world champions: “I am very humbled. Boxing in Ghana isn’t as regarded as it is over here. We’ve been able to revive boxing over there. They are loving it. We are changing the perspective of the sport. It is great.”

On Hidenori Otake: “Otake is very strong, physically strong. He has a great record. You can’t underestimate Otake. We’re not underestimating him at all. He’s someone we have our eyes on, and we’re making sure, come Saturday, we are going to take him out.”

On the lack of trash talk compared to before the Jessie Magdaleno fight: “Otake is a gentleman. He’s so humble, and when two humble warriors come together, it’s mutual respect. And that’s how we’re taking it.”

Hidenori Otake

On Isaac Dogboe: “He is a good pressure fighter and a strong fighter. I’m going to use his pressure and his power against him.”

On the recent success of Japanese fighters: “Japanese boxers have been fighting very well recently, and I am looking to do the same. It’s great for Japanese boxing when we come to America and do very well.”

Mikaela Mayer

On one year as a pro: “It’s flown by. It doesn’t feel like a year, for sure. It’s been so busy. Top Rank has been keeping me busy. It’s my seventh fight in a year, pretty much unheard of for women’s boxing. I feel great.”

On making her ESPN debut: “ESPN+ was definitely an opportunity for people to see me fight and mature, so that was cool, but I’ve been waiting for my first televised fight. I think it’s happening at the perfect time. I’ve learned a lot this past year. I’m ready to showcase my skills in front of the world.”

“I’m representing, not just myself, but women’s boxing. I want to show people that we have what it takes to fight on the big stage.”

Trevor McCumby

On returning following a nearly two-year layoff: “I’m ready to put on a great show. I’m so excited. It has been almost two years. I missed this sport a lot, and I’m ready to come back even stronger and show people my skills and all of the assets I have. My skills, my strength, my power. People are going to be really impressed.”

On fighting near his hometown: “I love Arizona. I’m probably going to live here the rest of my life. It’s going to be awesome. I have a lot of fans here, and they’re all going to be screaming for me. At the end of the day, though, it’s just another fight.

Carlos Castro

“I have been training hard, and I will have my entire community here to support me. Signing with Top Rank motivates me to prove myself and to steal the show on Saturday.”

Francisco De Vaca

“I’m going to be on ESPN+. I’m ready to give a great performance for everyone who is watching. If the fans haven’t watched me yet, they need to stay tuned. They will see a new and improved ‘Panchito’ De Vaca.”

About ESPN+

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time..films30 for 30 , original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning exclusive ESPN+ offers fans two The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN.ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from

By Norm Frauenheim-PHOENIX, Ariz. — If life is a logo, Ray Beltran has one that hints at where he’s been, where he’s going and mostly who he is. It’s the Phoenix bird, a symbol of inexhaustible resiliency, with his initials at its heart.

The R is reversed, the young Ray facing left and perhaps looking back on who he was. It backs up to the B, the mature Beltran facing right and looking forward to a career that continues to unfold. In some ways, it represents nearly two decades that have come full circle, a round trip bringing Beltran back to a city he has never really left. The desert town and its mythic symbol are his identity.

He’ll stage a formal homecoming a week from Saturday, August 25, at Gila River Arena in suburban Glendale in his first Arizona bout in more than a decade. It’s no coincidence, perhaps, that it will be his first fight — here or anywhere else — as a defending champion. The title dreams he brought with him to Phoenix in 1999 were finally fulfilled with a unanimous decision over Paulus Moses in Reno for the World Boxing Organization’s belt last February in Reno.

“People know me, know who I am,’’ said Beltran, who faces a tricky challenge against switch-hitting Jose Pedraza of Puerto Rico in an ESPN-televised bout. “They know what’s real, what’s not.’’

If time is any measure, few have been as real as Beltran. At 37, he’s something of a late bloomer. That’s a perilous place to be in an unforgiving craft. But Beltran is there, sure of who he is as a fighter. There have been times when he wasn’t certain. In part, his career has been about figuring out just who he was within the ropes.

It wasn’t exactly an identity crisis. But it was a learning process. When he arrived in Phoenix in 199 with late Hall of Fame trainer and mentor Emanuel Steward, he was called Brown Sugar. That suggested he would be an elusive fighter, finesse first and power second. But he was never really that guy. Instead, he discovered through time, trial and error that his instinctive aggressiveness was his real strength.

That time included about 10 years as Manny Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner. Beltran guesses that he sparred about 3,000 rounds with Pacquiao. To a degree, that meant a lot of role playing. For a while, he’d be Miguel Cotto. Then, Antonio Margarito. Then, Shane Mosley, Then, Juan Manuel Marquez. Then, Timothy Bradley. Then, Floyd Mayweather. A little bit from each can add up to a lot in one. It gives Beltran experience for which there is in match.

There’s also time with Steward, who brought Beltran up from his native Mexico and put him on Phoenix cards he promoted in 2001. Then, Beltran followed Steward to Detroit and the famed Kronk Gym.

“I had nowhere to live, so I lived with Emanuel at his house in Detroit for a year,’’ Beltran says.

Dinner with the Hall of Fame trainer was a lesson plan, Then, there all those rounds with Pacquiao before some of the biggest fights in a new millennium. There’s not much that Beltran hasn’t heard, hasn’t seen. His is a comprehensive resume, one that could get an intriguing addition if he beats Pedraza. A win on Aug 25 probably sets up a title defense against Vasiliy Lomachenko, perhaps in December. That would mean Beltran would be the only fighter to face two of the leading contenders in the pound-for-pound debate. Lomachenko and Terence Crawford are either No. 1 or No. 2 in several of the subjective ratings. Beltran lost a unanimous decision to Crawford in 2014.

His unique experience puts him line to be in a singular position. But he is also there because of the resiliency, the rising-from-the-ashes quality symbolized in the personal logo he designed. Beltran’s 44-fight record includes seven defeats and a controversial draw in 2013 with then WBO champion Ricky Burns in Scotland.

In an era defined by protection of an unbeaten record through optimization of the risk-to-reward equation, a fighter with seven losses is a retired fighter. But there is no modern equation that explains Beltran. Only a logo can.

CIDRA, P.R. (Aug 8, 2018) – José “Sniper” Pedraza already knows how it feels to have a world title in his hands. Now, the former world champion guarantees he will experience that sensation again on Aug. 25 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

On that night, Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs) will challenge WBO lightweight champion Ray Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) in the main event of an ESPN-televised card.

Pedraza, who will depart for Las Vegas on Saturday to finish training camp, worked out for the Puerto Rican media Wednesday afternoon. This is what he had to say.

About his world title fight: “I feel very motivated, and I know I will have a great fight against Ray Beltran. He is a strong fighter who always leaves everything in the ring and battled for a long time until becoming a world champion. I know that this will be a classic war between Mexico and Puerto Rico.”

On what fans can expect from him on Aug. 25: “Fans can expect great boxing skills and a great victory from myself. I am focused on my career and on this fight. On Aug. 25, Puerto Rico will have a new world champion.”

###

Beltran-Pedraza, the Isaac Dogboe-Hidenori Otake WBO junior featherweight title bout, and Mikaela Mayer vs. Edina Kiss will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza, #DogboeOtake, and #MayerKiss to join the conversation on social media.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (Aug. 8, 2018) — Mikaela Mayer turned pro last year intent on helping shine the spotlight on female boxing. Mayer, a Los Angeles native and 2016 U.S. Olympian, will get that opportunity Aug. 25 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, when she takes on Edina Kiss in a six-round super featherweight bout, live on ESPN. Mayer vs. Kiss will be part of a special world championship event featuring Ray Beltran’s WBO lightweight title defense against Jose Pedraza and Isaac Dogboe’s WBO junior featherweight title defense against Hidenori Otake.

Beltran-Pedraza, Dogboe-Otake, and Mayer-Kiss will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship event, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at gilariverarena.com.

“Fighting live on ESPN is a dream come true and something I have been looking forward to since I made the decision to leave the amateur ranks and turn pro with Top Rank,” Mayer said. “I gave up my dream of an Olympic gold medal to step onto a bigger stage and to help take women’s boxing to the next level. Now, after years of fighting out of the limelight, I get to showcase my skills on the greatest sports network in the world.”

Mayer (6-0, 3 KOs) has become one of the most recognizable figures in female boxing after making her pro debut in August 2017. Mayer, who currently lives and trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will be making her fourth ring appearance of 2018. Kiss (14-7, 8 KOs), a one-time world title challenger from Budapest, Hungary, represents Mayer’s stiffest professional test to date. Mayer last fought June 30 in Oklahoma City, where she used a steady jab to outpoint the previously undefeated Sheena Kaine over six rounds. Mayer also fought May 12 at Madison Square Garden on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jorge Linares undercard, shutting out the game Baby Nansen over six rounds. She started her 2018 campaign with a 35-second knockout against Maria Semertzoglou on March 10 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Now, after a half-dozen pro bouts fighting on cards alongside some of the sport’s best fighters, Mayer is ready for her ESPN close-up.

The ESPN+ broadcast will feature 2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceicao (8-0, 5 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout against Edgar Cantu (7-4-2, 1 KO) and a pair of Phoenix natives, junior featherweight contender Carlos Castro (20-0, 9 KOs) and light heavyweight Trevor McCumby (23-0, 18 KOs). Castro will face Diuhl Olguin (13-10-3, 9 KOs), while McCumby will take on Jessie Nicklow (27-7-3, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

In other undercard action:

Antonio Lozada Jr. (40-2, 34 KOs), who knocked out Felix Verdejo on March 17 in New York City, will look to continue his winning ways against Arturo Santos Reyes (19-10, 5 KOs) in a lightweight bout.

Unbeaten 140-pound contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (18-0, 6 KOs), coming off a 10-round unanimous decision against Mike Reed on March 10 in Carson, California, will make his return against Luis Solis (23-9-4, 20 KOs).

Super welterweight prospect Sagadat Rakhmankulov (2-0, 1 KO), a former Kazakh amateur star who is managed by Egis Klimas, will face Christian Aguirre (7-2, 3 KOs).

Breenan Macias (2-0, 1 KO), from Goodyear, Arizona, will face Philip Adyaka (7-11, 4 KOs) in a four-round bantamweight bout.
For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes
Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza, #DogboeOtake, and #MayerKiss to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

(Aug. 6, 2018) — Ray Beltran scratched and clawed and spent nearly 19 years as a pro boxer before earning his first world title. He outpointed Paulus Moses on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nevada, to win the vacant WBO lightweight title, a lifelong dream finally fulfilled. A native of Los Mochis, Mexico, Beltran is now a proud resident of Phoenix, a short drive from where he will make his first title defense.

Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) will defend his title against former 130-pound world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza as the headliner of an ESPN-televised card, Aug. 25 at the Gila River Area in Glendale, Arizona.

Beltran returned home Saturday for a full slate of media activities, including an open workout at Gent’s Boxing Club in Glendale and as a guest broadcaster for the second inning of the Arizona Diamondbacks Alumni Game.

This is what he had to say.

On his future: “Hopefully, we have another big fight coming up against {Vasiliy} Lomachenko. I’m pretty happy when I fight the best. I’ve had no easy fights in my boxing career. We made our own way. We made our own name. We got a contract with Top Rank after 20-something fights. Nobody created our record. I have a lot of knockouts, but I have more power than it looks like on {my record}. All the losses that I have, four or five were robberies. I’m ready. Right now, I’m focused on Pedraza, but we dream big.”

On fighting for Phoenix and Mexico: “I feel like my heart is in half. I feel like a Phoenix fighter, but I’m also a Mexican fighter from my hometown. I can’t believe what I’ve come from. I come from nothing. I come from a place where nobody is supposed to make it. I think it’s important that the people where I came from know about it, so they get the message — whatever you want to do in life, if you work hard, you can make a change.”

On his opponent: “Pedraza is a former world champion. I believe he’s going to bring some heat. He’s going to come and fight hard to take the belt away from me. He bobs and moves around the ring a lot. He’s got good footwork, but we’ve been working at Wild Card with all different types of styles.”

# # # # # #

Beltran-Pedraza and the Isaac Dogboe-Hidenori Otake WBO junior featherweight title bout will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza and #DogboeOtake to join the conversation on social media.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (July 23, 2018) — Ray Beltran and Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will head to the desert on Aug. 25 for their first title defenses.

In the main event at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Beltran, who resides in nearby Phoenix, will defend the WBO lightweight title against Jose “Sniper” Pedraza, a former junior lightweight world champion looking to bring another world title home to Puerto Rico. And, in the all-action co-feature, Dogboe will defend the WBO junior featherweight title against Hidenori Otake.

Beltran-Pedraza and Dogboe-Otake will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, go on sale Thursday, July 26 at 10 a.m PST. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.

“I’m living the dream. It feels great to be a world champion. I am very motivated to defend my title, and it’s very special to me because I’m fighting in my adopted home,” Beltran said. “Pedraza is a very skillful fighter and is going to bring his best to take the belt from us, but I’m not just fighting for the belt, I’m also fighting to keep it in Phoenix and my birthplace of Los Mochis, Mexico. This belt represents my family’s future, and it’s going nowhere.”

“This is a great opportunity and a great challenge. Beltran is a veteran and is finally a world champion after trying for so long,” Pedraza said. “I think for that reason it’s going to be a great fight because he will not want to lose the title. I’m 100 percent prepared for war.”

“I’m making my first defense against Otake, a Japanese warrior. It’s going to be fireworks,” Dogboe said. “I’m not stepping back. We’re on a quest to make this division exciting and great again. We’re shaking up the division. Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe, you all know I bring lightning and thunder!”

“I would like to express my appreciation to everyone who made this fight possible.
I am truly grateful for this opportunity,” Otake said. “In capturing the world title for my first time on Aug. 25, I’d like to show everyone that age does not matter. Since comments can reveal strategy, I can’t say anymore.”

Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) is a story of perseverance who finally broke through as a world champion five month shy of his 36th birthday. In his last bout, an ESPN-televised contest against Paulus Moses on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nevada, Beltran dug deep to win the vacant WBO lightweight title by unanimous decision. The scores — 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112 — did not reflect the back-and-forth nature of the bout. Once Manny Pacquiao’s chief sparring partner, Beltran had three previous cracks at a world title, most notably a 2013 draw against Ricky Burns that most ringside observers felt should have been a clear Beltran victory. The following year, he lost a wide unanimous decision to pound-for-pound elite Terence Crawford, who had beaten Burns to win the WBO lightweight crown. Beltran, a Phoenix resident who is originally from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, will be fighting in his adopted home state for the first time since 2005.

Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto, is on a mission to become a two-weight world champion. A former IBF junior lightweight world champion who made two successful defenses of his title, he lost his belt via seventh-round TKO to Gervonta Davis in January 2017. Following a 14-month layoff, he moved up to the lightweight division and signed a promotional contract with Top Rank. Pedraza is 2-0 as a lightweight in 2018, winning an eight-round unanimous decision against Jose Luis Rodriguez on March 17 and a 10-round unanimous decision against Antonio Moran on June 9 as the co-feature to the Terence Crawford-Jeff Horn welterweight title bout in Las Vegas.

Dogboe (19-0, 13 KOs) established himself as one of boxing’s best young champions in 2018 with a pair of signature victories. He knocked out Cesar Juarez in the fifth round on Jan. 6 in his hometown of Accra, Ghana, to win the interim WBO junior featherweight title. On April 28 in Philadelphia, Dogboe won the title in dramatic fashion, surviving a first-round knockdown to stop Jessie Magdaleno in the 11th round in a Fight of the Year contender. A 2012 Olympian, Dogboe had a rapid rise through the pro ranks, winning the WBO Oriental and WBO Africa featherweight titles en route to junior featherweight title contention. Boxing is in the Dogboe lineage as his father/trainer, Paul Dogboe, once served as a boxing coach and a physical instructor in the British Army.

Otake (31-2-3, 14 KOs), from Tokyo, has been a professional for more than 12 years and is riding a nine-bout winning streak dating back to Nov. 22, 2014. On that day, he challenged Scott Quigg for the WBA super bantamweight title, dropping a unanimous decision. He won the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title on March 17, 2017 with a unanimous decision against Jelbirt Gomera. Otake defended the OBPF title three times, most recently scoring a 10th-round TKO over Brian Lobetania in Tokyo on March 13.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza and #DogboeOtake to join the conversation on social media.

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About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.

The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA TOUR golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

Top Rank won the purse bod to stage the WBO lightweight title bout between Ray Beltran and Roman Andreev. The fight will take place on August 25th in Phoenix, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s probably a very tough and competitive fight,” Top Rank Vice-President Carl Moretti said. “It’s probably the kind of all-action fight Ray Beltran is usually in. I don’t see this fight being much different than the usual fights Ray is in. Andreev is a strong, come-forward fighter with full intentions of winning the title and taking it back to Russia, which would not please [Top Rank chairman] Mr. [Bob] Arum.”

Follow all the action as Ray Beltran and Paulus Moses vie for the vacant WBO Lightweight title.  The action kicks off at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT with welterweight battle between Egidijus Kavaliauskas and former world champion David Avanesyan.  The show kicks off with Olympic Silver Medal winner Shakur Stevenson taking on Juan Tapia in a Featherweight bout.

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Round 1: Beltran lands a right..2 hard lefts..Jab from Moses…Right for Beltran

Round 2 Beltran lands a left to the body..Both land lefts..Beltran gets in a left..Moses lands 2 rights..Beltran cut over the left eye

Round 3 Good right from Moses..Jab and right..

Round 4 Good jab from Moses..Uppercut..Long right from Moses..Right and double left from Beltran..

Round 5 Right from Moses..Hard left from Beltran..jab from Moses..Beltran cut under his left eye

Round 6 Moses lands a right

Round 7 Good 1-2 from Moses..Short right from Beltran

Round 8 Beltran working on the inside..

Round 9  Hard right buckles Beltran..Left from Beltran..1-2..2 body shots…Moses lands a jab..Combination from Beltran

Round 10 Hard right and left from Beltran

Round 11 Beltran lands a left to the body..Right to body and another

Round 12  Beltran outlanding Moses

117-111, 117-111 and 116-112 FOR RAY BELTRAN

Round 1 

Round 2 Kavaliauskas lands a right..Jab from Avanesyan..Right from Kavaliauskas

Round 3 Crisp right from Avanesyan…Kavaliauskas lands a combinations drives Avanesyan back..Left hook..

Round 4 Avanesyan switches southpaw..Lands a left..Right from Kavaliauskas..Jab..Rght,..

Round 5 Good body shot from Kavaliauskas

Round 6 Kavaliauskas lands a hard right…Avanesyan is hurt…HARD FLURRY OF UNANWERED PUNCHES AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Stevenson lands a jab..Short right uppercut

Round 2 Stevenson lands a right hook..

Round 3 Stevenson lands a jab…Hard right hook..Good body work

Round 4 Hard lead left from Stevenson…

Round 5 Straight left from Stevenson.. Stevenson outlanding Tapia 73-15

Round 6 2 hard body shots and  a left hurt Tapia..Body work..right to body

Round 7  Body shot and 3 punch combination from Stevenson..Good right from Tapia..B;ood from mouth of Tapia..Jab from Stevenson..lead left

Round 8 Good combination from Stevenson